atwood



N0. 608,097. Patented July 26,1898.

L. J. ATwoun.

BICYCLE LAMP.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 1896.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

TN: Noam: inns co, PHOTO-l wan WASHINGTON, 0.0.

L. .1 ATwoon. BICYCLE LAMP.

' (Application filed Dec. 7, 1896.] (No Model.)

' Patented July 26, I898.

2 sheets sheefl 2.

LEW'IS J. ATVVOOD, OE VVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PLUME & ATWOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,097, dated July 26, 1898. Application filed December 7,1896. flerial No. 614,742. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern;

7 Be it known that 1, Lewis J. Arwoon, a citizen of the United States,residin g at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Bicycle-Lamps, of which the follow ing is a specification.

In the construction of lamps for bicycles and similar vehicles difficulty has been experienced in maintaining a steady flame, be cause the action of atmosphere on the flame is so often varied by the speed of movement of the lamp through the air, andin addition to this lamps of this character become more or less soiled with the oil and with the smoke,

and it is of great advantage to be able to take the lamp apart to give access to all the different portions thereof for thoroughly cleaning the same.

The present invention is for insuring uniformity in the flame by the proper control of the air-currents and for allowing the parts of the lamp to be separated with facility to give access for cleaning.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the lamp. Fig. 2 shows the springring detached for holding in the glass. Fig.

. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4 a vertical section, of

the removable draft-plate. Fig. 5 is a plan of the wick-tube and base-plate of the burner. Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view representing the removable top and wind-guard; and Fig. 7 is ahorizontal plan through the reflector, the Wind-guard, and socket for the lamp bracket or support. Fig. Sis an elevation of the parts represented in Fig. 5, and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section at the line so a: of Fig. 8.

The lamp-body A is advantageously cylindrical, the axis of the cylinder being vertical, and the conical reflector B is usually rigidly connected at an opening in the front of the lamp-body, and this conical reflector is made with an annular bead 2, into which the edges of the glass C or lens are received, and immediately adjacent to the annular bead 2 is a second annular bead 3, into which is received the wire D. The wire has heretofore been employed for holding in the glass or lens; but it has been difficult to apply the same or to remove it for taking out the glass to clean the same. I make the wire D with a rightangled bend 4 at one end, passing through a hole in the annular bead 3, preferably at the bottom, and the other end of the wire D is formed with a finger-loop 5, which projects upward. Hence by taking hold of the fingerloop 5 the wire D can be pulled easily out from the annular bead 3, and then the bent end 4 of the wire can be lifted out from the hole in the conical reflector, and after the glass has been replaced in the annularbead 2 the end 4 of the wire is inserted into the hole in the conical reflector and the wire pressed into position all around within the conical reflector, the finger-loop 5 being grasped by the thumb and finger both in inserting the wire and in withdrawing the same, as before mentioned.

The reservoir E is adapted to hold oil and is provided with a screw-collar at the upper end, into which is screwed the burner-base F, such burner-base having a downward-projecting and screw-threaded portion 6 to fit the collar of the reservoir, and this burner-base eX- tends up and is flared outward and terminates as a cylindrical rim 7, that sets into the bottom of the lamp-body A, and there is around the bottom of the lamp body an annular groove 8 to receive the projections 9 upon the circular rim 7, similar to a bayonet-look, and the metal of the bottom part of the lamp-body is cut out at one side to allow for the passage of one of the projections 9 in setting the parts together. By this construction the reservoir can be locked to the lamp-body with the Wick-raiser G standing at either one side of the lamp or the other, and this is a great convenience, because the lamp is sometimes supported at the right side of the machine and sometimes at the left, and by this mode of connection the wick-raiser can be placed outward, so as to give access to such wickraiser Without removing the lamp from its support upon the cycle.

The wick-raiser is made as a shaft with a thumb wheel 1.0 upon one end and with toothed wheels acting upon the wick, as usual; but in cycle-lamps difficulty arises in consequence of the wick sometimes descending on account of the concussion to which the parts are subjected. I am enabled to hold the wick-raiser reliably in the position to which it may be adjusted by a screw 11, passing through a nut 12, that is secured within the ratchet-cap, and through which nut is a hole for the shaft of the wick-raiser G to pass. Hence the end of the screw 11 can be brought immediately into contact with the shaft G to clamp the same firmly within the nut 12, and thus prevent the wick-raiser shaft from turning or the wick from descending by the vibration to which the lamp is subjected. The wick-raiser shaft cannot be bent by the pressure of the screw, as such shaft is supported in the cross-hole in the nut.

The plate 13 surrounds the wick-tube 14: and is soldered at its edge within the burner-base F, and thereis a row of holes 15 around within the burner-base and closely adjacent to the cylindrical rim 7 for the free admission of atmospheric air to the flame, and this air rises within the rim of the burner-base and beneath the removable draft-plate H, which is flat or nearly so, with a downward-projecting rim 16, passing within the rim 7.of the burner-base, and there is a central opening for the wick-tube 14 and a deflector 17, rising from the removable draft-plate and standing at opposite sides of the top edges of the wick-tube for protecting the base of the flame, and the removable draft-plate is perforated with numerous small holes, so that the air passing in through the holes 15 is evenly distributed within the lamp-body,thus furnishing ample atmosphere for producing a perfect combustion and at the same time preventing the atmosphere from causing the lamp to flicker by unequal action of such atmosphere upon the flame.

The draft-plate is placed in position be fore the reservoir, with the cylindrical rim 7 connected with the bottom end of the lampbody, as before described, and it will be apparent that any carbonaceous materials and oily substances from the wick will accumulate upon the upper side of the burner-base and above the plate 13, and the same can be easily removed and the lamp cleaned by lifting out the removable draft-plate II, and this draft plate can be wiped off or otherwise cleaned on both sides, so as to remove any oily accumulations.

In consequence of the jar and vibration the removable draft-plate II is liable to make an objectionable noise or even become misplaced. To avoid this, I provide springs 18, fastened within the lamp-body A and resting upon the upper surface of the draft-plate, so as to hold the same down reliably, but at the same time to yield as the burner-base is fastened to the bottom of the lamp-body.

I find it advantageous for the flat flame of the lamp to be the heaviest on its edges in order to lessen the risk of the lamp being extinguished and also to allow the flame to spread and be as large as consistent with perfect combustion. With this object in view the upper end of the wick-tube is notched at its end portions, as seen at 19. Hence the edges of the wick are more exposed than the middle portion at the upper end of said wick, and there will be a greater body of flame at the edges of the flame rising from the wick than in the middle portions of such flame, and the deflector 17 has two straight edges and the end portions are depressed or made with downward notches, so as to allow the flame to spread laterally as it rises from the wick.

"Where a straight deflector has been used with a wick-tube having a curved upper end the middle of the flame is thin and it gradually thickens toward the edges. In my present improvement the notched ends of the wick-tube cause the edges of the flame to be thick and the intermediate parts thin, so that there is less risk of smoke and the flame is not easy to extinguish.

The reflector I is held at its edges by guideslides 20, and the reflector is wider at the upper end than at the bottom end, so that it enters as a wedge between the guide-slides and is held firmly in position, and the lower portion of the reflector I is perforated for the free passage of atmospheric air from behind the reflector, and the back of the body A is perforated at 21 to admit air behind the reflector, and it will be observed that the re fleetor prevents the currents of air that enter the perforations 21 passing directly to the flame. Hence the flame is not rendered unsteady by air admitted through such perforations.

Lateral currents of air frequently strike the lamp-body at the rear portion thereof. Hence it is not always advantageous to rely upon the reflector I in preventing the flame flickering from currents admitted through the perforations 21. I therefore make use of a wind-guard K in the form of vertical plates, with an opening between them where the perforations 21 are located, and the ends of the wind-guard K are secured to the lampbody A advantageously by rivets, and such wind-guard K terminates to the rear with a vertical socket 22, into which is received the lamp-post for supporting such lamp, and the air can pass freely from above or below the wind-guard K, but lateral currents are prevented from blowing directly into the holes 21. The socket 22 is adapted to receive a lamp-post in the form of a flat plate,-and there is usually a lining of rubber within the socket, and in consequence of such socket being upon the wind-guard and removed from the lamp-body the rubber lining is protected from injury by the heat.

The removable top L of the lantern is provided with a hollow base-rib 23, receiving the projections or lugs 24 upon the top of the lamp-body, the hollow base-rib being notched at one side to allow for the passage of-one of the lugs 24. Hence the removable top can be connected in a most reliable manner over i the top of the lamp-body A by placing one of the lugs 24 into the hollow base-rib and then pressing the removable top upon the body where the other lug will pass. through the notch and giving to the parts a partial rotation.

The removable top is contracted to a cylinder 25, and there are tongues or straps 26 extending up from the cylinder and riveted to the under side of the cap 27, which cap has a downward-proj ectin g flange around its edges, and it is perforated at 28, and there is a deflector 29 attached at the center to the under side of the cap adjacent to the perforations 28, so that the products of combustion do not pass directly out. through the perforations 28, but pass around the edges of the deflector 29 before passing out at such perforations 28, and the cylindrical edge of the cap 27 extends down in front of the openings that are in the top portion of the cylinder 25 and between the tongues 26. Hence air. cannot blow directly into such openings, and lateral or upward-inclined currents of air do not pass down into the lamp to interfere with the steadiness of the flame in consequence of such currents of. air passing over the deflector 29 and escaping through the perforations 28 or at the opposite side of the lamp in the openings between the tongues 26. By this construction a free vent is given to the products of combustion, external lateral currents of air are prevented from causing the light to flicker or smoke, and the cap can be taken 01f with facility to give access to the interior of the lamp-body for cleaning the same, and the parts are easily separated for the purpose of cleaning them, as before set forth.

It is advantageous to place a colored light at each side of the lamp-body, and with this object in view the glasses M are set in frames N, that slide upon the surface of the lampbody in guides 0. These glasses and frames also give access to the lamp for lighting the wick thereof.

I am aware that a screw has been used at a groove around a wick-raiser shaft to retain the same in position, but this was not adapted to clamping the shaft, because the screw simply passed through the tube into the groove, and if the screw could be turned to clamp the shaft it would tend to bend the same, because the grooved portion of the shaft is unsupported opposite to the screw.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with the lamp-body and the glass, of a conical reflector receiving and supporting the glass and having an annular groove or head around the same, a circular wire for holding the glass in position and having one end bent outward to pass through a hole in the conical reflector, and the other end bent inwardly to facilitate the insertion or removal of the wire for holding the glass,

substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the lamp-body, of

a reservoir and a burner-base to which the reservoir is attached and having a cylindrical outer edge and means for connecting the same with the lower end of the lamp-body and a reservoir is attached and having a cylindrical outer edge and means for connecting the same with the lower end of the lamp-body and a removable draft-plate resting at its edge upon the burner-base, there being numerous small perforations in the draft-plate and perforations around the burner-base for the passage of air, and a deflector attached to the removable draft-plate and rising at opposite sides of the wick-tube, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination in a lamp for cycles, with the reservoir and burner-base, of a wick tube projecting above the burner-base and having a straight upper edge with notches at the ends, and a deflector having straight edges at the sides of and rising above the wicktube, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the wiclctube, shaft and pointed wick-raisers, acting directly upon the wick, in a lamp for vehicles, of a blockhaving a hole through which the cylindrical wick-raiser shaft passes freely, and a screw-threaded hole at substantially right angles to the shaft and a clamping-screw passing into said hole and acting directly against the shaft to clamp and hold the same without any risk of bending the shaft, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the lamp-body and reservoir, of a burner-base to which the reservoir is attached such base havinga cylindrical edge and means for connecting the same to the lower part of the lamp-body, a removable perforated draft-plate setting within the burner-base, and means for holding down such removable draft-plate, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the lamp-body and reservoir in a bicycle-lamp, of a burner-base attached to the reservoir and extending upward and outward and terminating as a cylindrical rim, and means for securing the same to the lamp-body, a removable draft-plate supported by the burner-base and springs for holding such removable draft-plate to the burner-base, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the cylindrical lamp-body, of a removable top connected at its lower edge with the top end of thecylindrical lamp-body and contracted to form a cylinder having tongues extending above the upper end, a perforated cap fastened to the upper ends of these tongues and having a downward-projecting flangeoutside of and surrounding the top of the cylinder and the openings between the tongues, and a deflec- Signed by me this 24th day of November, tor fastened at the central portion to the un- 1896. der s1de 0f the perforated cap and smaller L ATWOOD than the cylinder of the cap, there being a 5 free passage for air between such perforated Witnesses:

cap and the deflector, substantially as set GEO. T.'PINOKNEY, forth. I E. E. POHLE. 

